


Whumptober 2019 - 12 - Don't Move

by OllieCollie



Series: Whumptober 2019 [12]
Category: Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: Emotional Whump, Flashback, Gen, Ruzek and Halstead being boys, Whump, play fight, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-12-14 05:23:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21010436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OllieCollie/pseuds/OllieCollie
Summary: He grunted and began to struggle to pull free, but stopped short when a familiar image flashed in front of his eyes. A memory—so vivid and sudden it physically hurt—took control of the moment.





	Whumptober 2019 - 12 - Don't Move

**Author's Note:**

> I really did enjoy writing this story, even though it's not *super* heavy on the whump. More like Jay and Adam being adorable and messing around (and Hailey's there, too). Anyway, I hope you enjoy. :) 
> 
> As always, leave a comment if you get a chance!

> "Are you serious right now?" Jay Halstead raised his eyebrows at Ruzek. 

"Yeah, man, I'm telling you. The jerk was harassing Maggie—the girl at the bar—so I decked him."

Jay adjusted the CPD badge dangling around his neck. "Ruzek, you can't even get _ me _to the ground. How on earth did you manage to wrestle a two-hundred and fifty pound man to the floor of a crowded bar?"

"_Hey _, I could—"

"Good morning, gentlemen," Hailey Upton interrupted as she entered the room, a cup of coffee already in her hand. She glanced at her watch. “You two are here early. How’s it going?”

“Jay seems to think I couldn’t take him down if I tried,” Ruzek complained as a greeting, sounding like a pouty schoolboy. He leaned against his desk, arms crossed.

Halstead snorted. “There’s no thinking needed. I _ know _you couldn’t.” 

Ruzek's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, yeah? You wanna bet?" 

Jay barely had chance to shoot his friend a wary look before Ruzek was on him.

"Hey!" Jay wrestled back against the unexpected attack, latching on to the officer's arm and twisting. Ruzek let out a pained yelp but fought himself free.

“You two had better take it down a notch before Voight gets here,” Hailey warned, but she laughed even as she said it.

Jay vaguely heard Hailey's comment, but he kept his focus on the play fight—because there was absolutely no way he was letting Ruzek win this. He dodged his opponent's grab and went for him again.

The tussle continued for a few more seconds before Ruzek's hand somehow found the back of Jay's neck. In one quick move Jay found himself trapped in a tight headlock. _ Darn it. _

He grunted and began to struggle to pull free, but stopped short when a familiar image flashed in front of his eyes. A memory—so vivid and sudden it physically hurt—took control of the moment. 

_ He could feel an arm tightening around his neck, the unexpected grip attempting to choke the life out of him. The surrounding darkness did nothing to ease his fear; the silence was deafening. His calls for help were muffled, fading into nothing as the breath was stolen right out of his lungs. _

_ The distinct click of gun cut through the silent air. Cool metal pressed against the side of his head. He winced and tried to pull away, but his captor didn’t relent. “Don’t move." The words came out as a whispered hiss. He could feel hot breaths against his ear as the gun was jabbed against him threateningly. “Make one sound and it’s over.” _

“Jay!” 

Just like that, the pressure on his neck was gone, and suddenly Jay couldn’t keep himself upright. He landed on his knees, gasping as though he’d never had a decent breath of air in his life. 

Sounds and voices blurred together, making it impossible to discern who was speaking or what they were saying. 

Jay still couldn't seem to breathe properly. _ No, no… _

"_ Jay. _" The voice was loud, and the detective couldn't suppress a flinch. "Hey, look at me." Hands gripped his shoulders firmly but gently. The contact grounded him, bringing him fully back to the present. Jay blinked and found Hailey's worried gaze staring back at him. "Deep breaths, all right? You're okay." 

His chest heaved under Hailey's gentle touch, but he tried to follow her instructions, forcing himself to suck in a deep breath and let it out slowly. 

"There you go," she encouraged, a small smile flitting across her face. "You with us?"

"I...I think so." Jay tried to pull himself from his daze. He spotted Ruzek several steps behind Hailey, guilt and concern written plainly on his features.

With one final deep breath, Jay hauled to his feet and cleared his throat. "I'm fine. 

He felt a red flush begin to creep up his cheeks. _ Stupid—how could this have happened? _Jay couldn't remember the last time he'd had a flashback so vivid and sudden. Nightmares, sure, they were pretty common, but a flashback like that? Never. And in front of his teammates, too. 

"Jay, I'm sorry, man." Ruzek took a hesitant step forward. "You just freaked out all of a sudden. I didn't mean to—"

"It's all good, buddy," Jay reassured shortly, even though he _ wasn't _entirely sure it was. However, he knew what had happened wasn't Ruzek's fault.

The blond officer's next response was cut off by the arrival of the remaining Intelligence unit. They exchanged greetings and nods, moving to their desks and jumping right into their new case.

Jay made a hasty retreat to perch on the edge of his desk. He could feel Upton and Ruzek's concerned gazes on his back, but he ignored them. He knew Hailey was going to want to have a conversation about what had happened later, but she wouldn't bring it up with everyone else in the room. Ruzek, too, would keep the events of the morning to himself, but he would be curious about what brought it on.

The detective drew in a deep breath. There would be time to apologize to Ruzek later—and ask for a rematch on that fight. 

Right now, his mission was simple: solve the case, keep the peace.


End file.
